Andrew vs Craig
Andrew and Craigcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1991, Andrew was ranked #8 and Craig #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1992, Andrew was ranked #13 and Craig #90 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Andrew was ranked #83 and Craig #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Andrew was ranked #104 and Craig #478 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Andrew was ranked #146 and Craig #516 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Andrew was ranked #315 and Craig #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Andrew and Craig over time
Andrew and Craig appear together in 5 published lists, across 183 years of shared records. Andrew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Craig in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Craig reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Andrew in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Andrew and Craig changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1953 and 1991, ending at #8 and #97.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 39 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Andrew and Craig averaged 20.6 places apart, ending at #8 and #97.
- Longest-running competitions
Andrew and Craig were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 39 years, from 1953 to 1991, ending at #8 and #97.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Andrew #29 in 1996, Craig #81 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys59 shared years, 1964–2023
Andrew held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #16 in 1992, Craig #39 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Andrew #146, Craig #516.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys39 shared years, 1953–1991
Andrew held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Craig in 4.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #4 in 1970, Craig #8 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Andrew #8, Craig #97.
New Zealand · Boys39 shared years, 1954–1992
Andrew held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Craig in 1.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #2 in 1975, Craig #6 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Andrew #13, Craig #90.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Andrew held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #29 in 1996, Craig #81 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Andrew #315, Craig #2263.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1997–2015
Andrew held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #5 in 1997, Craig #68 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Andrew #83, Craig #415.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Andrew | Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The English form of Greek Andreas, from 'andreios' ('manly, masculine'), itself from 'aner' ('man'). The apostle Andrew was the first disciple to join Jesus and is patron saint of Scotland. | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. |
| Origin | Greek, biblical | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæn.dɹuː/ | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #106 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Andrew is recorded with a Greek, biblical origin, while Craig is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) origin.
- Andrew has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Craig.
- Andrew's recorded meaning differs from Craig's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Andrew
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2013
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1954–2013).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #106 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys